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Laughing Gas*
Bureau of D ental Health Education L A U G H IN G G A S* B y J u l ia n
A l e x a n d e r , L L .B ., J a c k s o n , M is s .
T h e dentist, th rou g h the use and abuse o f an ex p lo re r’ s license usually, m akes it his business to k n o w ev e ryth in g that goes on beneath our v e r y noses. But he d oesn ’t alw a ys sense all that is g o in g on inside the head o f his p a tie n t; fo r , un der the stimulus o f la u gh in g gas, he o fte n takes w e ird ex cursions into the realm s o f im agination. W h a t is that h allu cin ation that com es to his d isord e re d brain , d istorted by the fa n c i fu l d eliriu m o f a real nitrous o x id ja g ? M y revela tion s m ay fu rn ish p ra ctica l data fo r your jo u rn a ls as a significant su bjective sym ptom . T h e o ra l ca v ity assum es a unique aspect, bein g m agnified to the p rop ortion s o f a vau lted convention h a ll. T h e delegates are assem bling. T h e first a r r iv a ls are slim y ou n g fe llo w s w h o com e early— in fa ct, as soon as the doors are open and the roll ca ll is ready. T h e y are the m ilk o r ba b y teeth, w h o take ch arg e o f the fro n t seats but d ispla y an im patience w h ich bespeaks only a casual in terest in the p roceed in g s. T h e y are adm itted on a h a lf-tick et on the th eory that they ex pect to stay through but h a lf the p roceed in gs. T h e trou ble and d iso rd e r that they occasion leads to the suspicion that they are not v ita lly con cern ed w ith the final v ote. T h e y h ave the a ir o f those w h o h a v e been b rib e d to stand in line and p reem p t the fr o n t row s fo r some o f the g r o w n folk s. T h e seats next to them are taken by the canines, w h o, ig n o r in g the sign “ no d o g s a llo w e d ,” com e cra sh in g in and take seats in the orch estra and first balcon y. T hey jo in w ith the b a b y teeth in m akin g the m ost o f the present, w ith e v e r y in d ication o f in d ifferen ce to the ultim ate success o f the party. T h e next a rriv a ls o fte n cause som e d is pute w ith the ticket takers. T h e bicuspids behind the canin es com e in w ith h alf-tick ets ca llin g fo r aisle seats. T h e r e is alw a ys som e h a g g lin g o v e r the adm ission fe e because n ow and then one o f these tricky fe llo w s g a in s adm ittance on a h a lf ticket and stays through fo r the w h ole show . But w h o are these d ign ified and portly gentlem en w h o stalk in w ith such stately tre a d ? T h e old b o w -le g g e d m olars w ith *E x p erien ce o f a laym an recounted at banquet o f M ississip p i D en tal A ssociation , Jackson, A p r il 17, 1928.
1377
seat checks in sections B and C enter with all the studied u n concern o f those w hose seats both in the ba lcon y and the m ain floor are reserved . N ot infrequently, one o f these personages sits sid ew ay s in his ch a ir to v ie w the in com in g delegates, later sh iftin g la b o riou sly to get a v ie w of the stage. A s soon as all the old “ b i-cu sp s” are seated and the d isord er on the fr o n t row s has been qu elled by d em a n d in g a su rrender o f c r e dentials on the part o f the ju v e n ile c o n tingent, the m eetin g is called to ord er. T h e roll call o f the d elegates is hard ly com p leted b efore all heads are turned to d ia g n o se the d istu rbance caused by the b o is terous entrance o f the “ C alam ity Q u artet,” w h o, ig n o rin g the d oork eep er’ s protests, make a d ra m a tic eleven th -h ou r entrance, bea rin g credentials as third m olars. O f course, there are no m ore seats, and they are discou rteou sly sh oved a lo n g fro m one to another and fin ally seek a p lace in the back r o w , w h ere they squeeze in sid e w ays and h a n g their feet out in the aisle. R esentfu l o f their reception, they lose no o p portu n ity to d isorg a n ize the m eeting. T h e y heckle the speaker, v ote “ n o ” on ev ery m otion, b r in g in d istu rb in g m in ority reports and make them selves so obn ox iou s g en era lly that they are finally fo r c ib ly ejected fro m the hall. N or is p erfect harm ony ev er th ereafter restored. N o w and then, one o f the d ele gates, w e a r ie d by the p roceed in g s, quits the hall, and surrenders his p lace to a rank outsider, w h o takes the v a ca ted seat, but leans h e a v ily on his n eig h bors and asks them h ow to vote. O ne by one, the delega tes retire on one pretext or another. A f e w o f the typical p olitician s are induced to h a n g on because a bit o f g old is slip ped to them, bu t even then they u ltim a tely lose interest in the p r o gram and jo in the g en era l exodus. O nly the ja n ito r rem ains. T h e r e is no one to boss him, no one to op pose o r argu e w ith him, and he too takes a final look about the p lace and w ith a lead en heart quits his job . A s he passes out, he is m et by a solid dele gation o f aliens w h o storm past him in solid phalanx, b rin g in g their ow n seats, and sin g ing, “ T h e O ld P la ce A in ’t W h a t She Used to B e ” ! T h e w h o le w orks has g on e dem ocratic. — W e ll, they ca ll it “ la u g h in g g a s.” B ut it is no la u gh in g m atter.
A l e x a n d e r , L L .B ., J a c k s o n , M is s .
T h e dentist, th rou g h the use and abuse o f an ex p lo re r’ s license usually, m akes it his business to k n o w ev e ryth in g that goes on beneath our v e r y noses. But he d oesn ’t alw a ys sense all that is g o in g on inside the head o f his p a tie n t; fo r , un der the stimulus o f la u gh in g gas, he o fte n takes w e ird ex cursions into the realm s o f im agination. W h a t is that h allu cin ation that com es to his d isord e re d brain , d istorted by the fa n c i fu l d eliriu m o f a real nitrous o x id ja g ? M y revela tion s m ay fu rn ish p ra ctica l data fo r your jo u rn a ls as a significant su bjective sym ptom . T h e o ra l ca v ity assum es a unique aspect, bein g m agnified to the p rop ortion s o f a vau lted convention h a ll. T h e delegates are assem bling. T h e first a r r iv a ls are slim y ou n g fe llo w s w h o com e early— in fa ct, as soon as the doors are open and the roll ca ll is ready. T h e y are the m ilk o r ba b y teeth, w h o take ch arg e o f the fro n t seats but d ispla y an im patience w h ich bespeaks only a casual in terest in the p roceed in g s. T h e y are adm itted on a h a lf-tick et on the th eory that they ex pect to stay through but h a lf the p roceed in gs. T h e trou ble and d iso rd e r that they occasion leads to the suspicion that they are not v ita lly con cern ed w ith the final v ote. T h e y h ave the a ir o f those w h o h a v e been b rib e d to stand in line and p reem p t the fr o n t row s fo r some o f the g r o w n folk s. T h e seats next to them are taken by the canines, w h o, ig n o r in g the sign “ no d o g s a llo w e d ,” com e cra sh in g in and take seats in the orch estra and first balcon y. T hey jo in w ith the b a b y teeth in m akin g the m ost o f the present, w ith e v e r y in d ication o f in d ifferen ce to the ultim ate success o f the party. T h e next a rriv a ls o fte n cause som e d is pute w ith the ticket takers. T h e bicuspids behind the canin es com e in w ith h alf-tick ets ca llin g fo r aisle seats. T h e r e is alw a ys som e h a g g lin g o v e r the adm ission fe e because n ow and then one o f these tricky fe llo w s g a in s adm ittance on a h a lf ticket and stays through fo r the w h ole show . But w h o are these d ign ified and portly gentlem en w h o stalk in w ith such stately tre a d ? T h e old b o w -le g g e d m olars w ith *E x p erien ce o f a laym an recounted at banquet o f M ississip p i D en tal A ssociation , Jackson, A p r il 17, 1928.
1377
seat checks in sections B and C enter with all the studied u n concern o f those w hose seats both in the ba lcon y and the m ain floor are reserved . N ot infrequently, one o f these personages sits sid ew ay s in his ch a ir to v ie w the in com in g delegates, later sh iftin g la b o riou sly to get a v ie w of the stage. A s soon as all the old “ b i-cu sp s” are seated and the d isord er on the fr o n t row s has been qu elled by d em a n d in g a su rrender o f c r e dentials on the part o f the ju v e n ile c o n tingent, the m eetin g is called to ord er. T h e roll call o f the d elegates is hard ly com p leted b efore all heads are turned to d ia g n o se the d istu rbance caused by the b o is terous entrance o f the “ C alam ity Q u artet,” w h o, ig n o rin g the d oork eep er’ s protests, make a d ra m a tic eleven th -h ou r entrance, bea rin g credentials as third m olars. O f course, there are no m ore seats, and they are discou rteou sly sh oved a lo n g fro m one to another and fin ally seek a p lace in the back r o w , w h ere they squeeze in sid e w ays and h a n g their feet out in the aisle. R esentfu l o f their reception, they lose no o p portu n ity to d isorg a n ize the m eeting. T h e y heckle the speaker, v ote “ n o ” on ev ery m otion, b r in g in d istu rb in g m in ority reports and make them selves so obn ox iou s g en era lly that they are finally fo r c ib ly ejected fro m the hall. N or is p erfect harm ony ev er th ereafter restored. N o w and then, one o f the d ele gates, w e a r ie d by the p roceed in g s, quits the hall, and surrenders his p lace to a rank outsider, w h o takes the v a ca ted seat, but leans h e a v ily on his n eig h bors and asks them h ow to vote. O ne by one, the delega tes retire on one pretext or another. A f e w o f the typical p olitician s are induced to h a n g on because a bit o f g old is slip ped to them, bu t even then they u ltim a tely lose interest in the p r o gram and jo in the g en era l exodus. O nly the ja n ito r rem ains. T h e r e is no one to boss him, no one to op pose o r argu e w ith him, and he too takes a final look about the p lace and w ith a lead en heart quits his job . A s he passes out, he is m et by a solid dele gation o f aliens w h o storm past him in solid phalanx, b rin g in g their ow n seats, and sin g ing, “ T h e O ld P la ce A in ’t W h a t She Used to B e ” ! T h e w h o le w orks has g on e dem ocratic. — W e ll, they ca ll it “ la u g h in g g a s.” B ut it is no la u gh in g m atter.